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An AA considers how service and self-support help to keep AA free for anyone who needs it

When I was new to Alcoholics Anonymous, it struck me that sobriety was learned by newcomers from older members who once were newcomers themselves. I also remember being struck by the fact that, in stark contrast to pricey counselors and psychologists, this thing didn't cost any money. Well, it didn't cost me any money…

An early sponsor described his first meeting to me: "And then they did something religious: they passed a basket!" Bill W. writes of St. Francis of Assisi in Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, that his philosophy: